It is admirable that some elements of the council are trying to extricate council taxpayers from building the St Dennis Incinerator. I wish them every success. The key lesson for the council is 'read the small print' before entering into any legal contracts. That is what legal departments are for, and counsellors must always ensure their officers are doing their jobs. Not only is the planned incinerator bad for the environment, it is also bad for local people's health, with the significant risk of people gaining respiratory problems and diseases. It is no surprise the council planned the monstrosity away from the tourist areas-instead they choose to let the largely indigenous population suffer.
The incinerator really will not solve the waste problem. The only way to do this is to solve the problem at source. Less waste packaging, and more incentives (and disincentives) for people not to dispose of their refuse via the refuse truck. Time and time again I see households throwing bags and bags of rubbish away for the bin truck. Why is it that our family of four manages with just one bag maximum a week? People must realise the necessity of not buying what they do not need, recycling what they can either via the council's scheme, encouraging reuse through giving to charity shops or through composting. Ultimately local and central government must tax excess waste-either to ensure business does not supply more than the minimum of packaging, and to ensure citizens do not throw away more than what is entirely necessary. That may not sound popular, but ultimately it is the only way we will solve the refuse crisis, and the clear links between waste disposal, environmental destruction and global warming. Waste incinerators are no more than the equivalent of a 'sticking plaster solution', and an undesirable and unhealthy one at that.
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